Sermon Notes - Easter Sunday - 4 April 2021, Anno Domini

Easter Sunday.

The Collect.

 

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LMIGHTY God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end.  Amen.

 

¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout Easter Week.

 

    The Roman Church has emphasized the ongoing sacrifice and death of Christ by their symbols and practice of Mass. Believing that the elements of bread and wine are actually transformed into the real flesh and blood of Christ (transubstantiation) by the prayers of the priest (sacerdotalism – i.e. priestly power to intercede and perform other acts of mystery), and they thereby leave Christ upon the cross (crucifix). They find nothing inconsistent with this 

practice since it conforms to their doctrine of transubstantiation.  As you will observe, and probably have done so, the Protestant churches present an empty cross on the Lord’s Table to symbolize the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Christ for our sins. For us, Christ is no longer on the cross and will never again be there since His sacrifice was full and sufficient. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Heb 9:28). Christ defeated death for us. That enemy of the children of God has already been vanquished completely.  So, we weaken the character of the Person of Christ when we insist on a regular sacrifice in the Mass. Let’s insist on Holy Communion, and not Mass, for our observance of that Passover which Christ is to us.

 

            The original Easter Collect, taken from the Sacramentary of Gelasius, tended to promote (perhaps unintentionally) the heresy of Pelagian theology. The original wording began: “Grant, we beseech thee, that we who celebrate the solemnities of the Lord’s resurrection, may through the renewal of thy Spirit arise from the death of the soul.” It was a heresy of Pelagius that a man could turn to God and do His will without the help of divine grace. The heresy persists in mainline churches today.

 

            ALMIGHTY God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death. If we truly believe that Jesus is the only Begotten Son of God, then why do we hurry to by phony bibles that change His true identity as only Begotten to “one and only?” Remember that you and I are sons and daughters of God – so Christ cannot be the “one and only son.” 

 

            “…opened unto us the gate of everlasting life.” You will recall that Christ not only opens the gate for us to everlasting life, but Christ IS the Gate. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. “I am the door of the sheep. (John 10:7)

 

            We humbly beseech thee that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires. Any good intentions we may have come by way of the grace of God working in our hearts.  “….so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen Even those good intentions we harbor in our hearts cannot bear outward fruit unless helped through that grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

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ND when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. 3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. 5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. 6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. 7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. 8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid. 9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. 10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. 12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. (Mark 16:1-13)[1]  

 

            It is pitiful to observe how afraid and fearful were the women who found an empty Tomb. It is absolutely the most beautiful thing that has ever happened for the benefit of man – that the Tomb of Jesus was empty! How often do we observe the wonder of God’s work and mistake it for a thing fearful and sad? Fear locks our mouths and stops our testimony. Is it not a wonderful thing to find an empty Tomb and a Risen Lord in lieu of a dead and lifeless body? Perhaps it was their fear and momentary loss of faith that prevented Christ from immediately appearing to them. But can we fault these courageous ladies very much? They lingered at the foot of the cross with John when many others of the disciples were in hiding. They were the ones who followed the body to the Garden Tomb (on loan from Joseph of Arimathaea) and watched there until the Tomb was made sure. 61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. (Matt 27:61) Perhaps it was AMAZEMENT more than anything else that caused their reaction. How can we proclaim such an overwhelmingly marvelous thing? 

 

            It is true we often disregard even the counsel of angels in our fears. The great Angel spoke to them and, as usual, prefaced his words with “Be not affrighted.” There was no cause for fear, but there WAS great cause for joy. Sometimes we tend to mix our emotions in the wrong way. When God’s Hand moves to the healing of His people, should our hearts not brim with love and joy! But the circumstances simply overwhelmed the women. As my mother used to say, “They were beside themselves.” NEVER did they expect to see what they found. First, the Stone was rolled back. It would take many strong men to perform that task. Fortunately, there were guards there to ensure that no man’s hand broke the Roman seal. But the great Angel rolled away the Stone with little effort.  Secondly, the women entered a Tomb that was not yet completely empty – there was only an Angel there to greet their fears. Thirdly, the Angel spoke kind words to allay their foreboding fear. Fourthly, the Angel told them that Christ was risen. Should we not believe an Angel when all evidence supports his claim? He even showed them the place where Christ had laid.

 

            Fourthly, the Angel told them something that demonstrated the sweet graces of the Balm of Gilead. You will recall that Peter has suffered for these three days the awful pain of having renounced the Lord his God before the court of the Sanhedrin. 56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. 60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. (Luke 22:56-62) The look of Christ was not one of reproach, but of deep disappointment – that disappointment one feels when his best friend has ruthlessly betrayed him. How this look had plagued poor Peter. How he despised himself and ached in the depths of his heart. If he could only take his words back! The Angel told the women: But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee. Did you catch the grace-laden meaning of this comment, friends? “…tell his disciples and Peter…” Though His hands of mercy were driven through with iron spikes, His feet nailed to the cross, a crown of thorns for a crown, and the ridicule of the multitudes to welcome His gaze, the Lord knew the agony of Peter, and addressed it with love and forgiveness. The angel did not send news to the disciples ONLY, but specifically to Peter – the only name mentioned for the sake of emphasis.

 

            Though we should be pained by our sins, Christ addressed our failings on the cross in the same way that He sent word to the suffering Peter – “you have not been renounced by ME, though I was renounced by you. My heart is too great to harbor vengeance against one who loves me and hurts me out of fear.” Though we know and love Christ, our sinful nature may often cause us to renounce Him through our weakened flesh. We carelessly may recite the Lord’s Prayer and not mean a word of it. We may enter church as a social feast rather than as an occasion to worship in reverence for the One who bled and died for us.

 

            Our Roman friends have come to the Tomb in the same way the women came. They seek and worship a dead body on the cross. But He is no there. He is risen! They erroneously believe that Christ must be sacrificed anew at every Mass they celebrate. But the Lord’s Table is not an altar, but the Table of the Lord whereby we are fed in the glorious elements of Bread and Wine to signify His spiritual presence in His Body and Blood. The great truth that may escape our understanding is that we, too, are a portion of His Body broken for the Kingdom. Both the Old and New, Testament Church is the Body of Christ nourished by that Blood shed for us more than two thousand years ago. Abraham knew it, Isaac illustrated it, and all others who looked forward to the promise (as we look back to the accomplished fact) constitute the Body of Christ.

 

            The Gospel ends today a bit awkwardly, for it leaves, on Easter morning, the women fearful. But thanks be to God, the narrative continues in the next several verses: 

9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. 10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. 12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. 14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. (Mark 16:9-20)

 

            I added these verses for a purpose. First, because these verses alleviate our fears and give us hope in the sure knowledge of the resurrection of Christ; and, secondly, because, if you are using one of the phony new translations such as the NIV, those last nine verses are enclosed in parentheses. The authors of these errant bibles then stipulate, falsely, in the footnote that these verses do not appear in the more ancient and reliable manuscripts.  They refer, of course, to the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus which do not even agree in many points with each other and which leave entire passages blank on the manuscript page. These constitute only 5% of manuscript evidence while the Textus Receptus of the Reformation agree in all points and constitute 95% of all manuscript evidence. The Thirty Nine Articles require the commonly received text upon which the KJV, the Geneva Bible, and all Reformed Bibles are based.

 

Question:

Do you believe these last nine verses should be omitted, as the NIV and others suggest? If you do not know, find out!

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[1] The New Bible Versions unscrupulously draw into question all the remaining verses of Mark 16 following verse 7. This leaves off the Resurrection and Ascension finding the women “afraid.” So I include at least the five verses above in addition to the Lectionary Text so as to deprive those who would corrupt the text any credibility in their blasphemous scheme.

Easter Sunday - Propers with explanation - Rev Jack's Sermon and an explanation of Holy Week

The Propers for today are found on Page 163-164, with the Collect first:

 

Easter Sunday.

The Collect.

 

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LMIGHTY God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end.  Amen.

 

¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout Easter Week.

 

The Epistle came from Saint Paul’s letter to the Colossians, the Third Chapter, beginning at the First Verse: 

 

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F ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.  

 

As usual, Paul is exhorting us to be the New Man, to put away the trappings of the old and go forward.  He asks us to do what anyone who is successful does, hang around with those you want to be like in the end and to emulate their actions.  In this case rather that earthly success, Paul is helping prepare us for eternal success through salvation.

 

The Holy Gospel came from the Gospel of Saint John, Twentieth Chapter, beginning at the First Verse.  It is the straightforward accounting of the discovery by Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter and John that the Lord was risen indeed. 

 

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HE first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

Sermon – Reverend Jack Arnold - Time and Action

Church of the Faithful Centurion

Descanso, California

Today’s sermon brought the Collect, Epistle and Gospel together and is partly contained in the forewords above. 

 

 Consider these words from the Collect:

 

… who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect…

 

In the Collect, we acknowledge God sent His Son to be our Savior.  Think about that, the Creator, Lord and Master of the Universe sent His only Son to not only live amongst us and minister and guide us, but to give His earthly life as a one time sacrifice for our sin that we might be accounted as perfect in our final accounting, the resurrection.  Today is the day of His Resurrection, where we celebrate His triumphant return from his descent into Hell after he died on the Cross and battled Satan for our souls. Not a lot of people think about the suffering Christ endured on our behalf after His painful death upon the cross. When HE died His sufferings had only just begun as He descended into darkness itself, Satan’s dominion, to do battle with Satan for our souls. We do not know much about the particular details of that battle, but it is good enough for us to know He triumphed and won our eternal freedom. He freed us from the shackles of Death.  God valued His Son exceedingly, but consider then how much He loves us in turn to allow His Precious Only Begotten Son to die a painful death and to do battle with the Devil for our eternity.

 

The Collect also points out that we need God’s special grace to prevent, that is to go before us, and to set good desires in our mind and overcome our natural evil desires. This is a point that not a lot of churches make these days as they have been overcome by the whims of the World. We need His presence within our hearts and minds if we are to follow Him.

 

Jesus set an example of humility and patience, both exceedingly rare qualities in us. That example is extremely difficult for us to follow without God’s help. This is the reason God sent the Holy Ghost to be here with us. With Jesus’ sacrifice and the help of the Holy Ghost to follow Him, turning our backs on this world, we can renew our minds and transform ourselves into the New Man 2.0.  The resurrection itself sets a pattern that we should follow. We must first die, that is to stop our sinning, then rise again, that is to live, with humility and patience like the example Jesus set for us. Jesus set the ultimate standard for action and we must do our very best to follow that standard.

 

There was a reason God set Easter in the springtime. Not only was the time of His death and rising again, but it came at a time where the flowers bloomed anew, having been dead in winter, as Christ had been dead, and rose again, just as those flowers bloom again. This is truly symbolic of His Death and Resurrection and it is no coincidence Easter happened during this time.  

 

Jesus’s standard is an extremely difficult act for us to follow We will never be able to follow it perfectly, for we are imperfect creatures, but we can sure do our best to. Our natural inclination is not set to follow His will but ours. That is the main reason for the difficulty. It is hard!  However, when you stop and think about what Jesus went through, is it as hard as His Trials and Death and Battling Satan? No matter who you are, the answer is never going to be yes. In the end, the path we must follow will still be easier than if we refuse to follow Him and try and forge our own path. We have to remind ourselves that we will be far happier if we follow His example and lead a righteous and steadfast life, full of grace and humility, as well as patience. 

 

In our lives, it is important to think about Jesus’ example before we do what we want to do.  Is what you are wanting in line with Jesus’ message? Think about the answer.  If you let the Holy Ghost in to your heart you will know the answer; you will know what you are supposed to do.  You may not like it, but you will know it. Which is more comforting than the World’s way, which seems to go off in every which direction, and they are never certain about anything. However, we can be certain about what we know, what believe and we can translate that certainty into our actions. This is because we follow the ultimate unwavering source of truth, God Himself.

 

Jesus knew what was coming, how much it would hurt both His Body and Soul as He went through with the crucifixion and subsequent descent in to Hell.   Yet, He also knew this was God’s Will that we might live.  If He did this for you, how can you not follow Him wherever His Will takes you? If He was willing to do that for all of us, then how can we not repay Him? His Sacrifice demands that we repay Him to the best of our ability, by the sheer nature of it; his perfection being offered in place of our imperfection.

 

These days people have forgotten how special Jesus’s Death and Resurrection is to us. It is a sign of the times, perhaps maybe even close to the end times that Churches have fallen into apostasy and are even actively denying His Ministry, His Death and His Resurrection. Jesus commanded us to always remember His Death and Passion, that we might be partakers of His Heavenly Kingdom. 

 

If we do not remember His Death and Passion, can we truly be partakers of His Heavenly Kingdom?

 

How can we?  

 

He is asking us to act and if we do not choose to act for Him then we cannot be truly on His Side. It is not enough just to ‘have’ faith, we need to back our faith up with actions and choose to act For Him, to remember His Ministry, Death and Resurrection and do our best with the help of the Holy Ghost to follow the standard He set.

 

Jesus set an example difficult to follow even with the help of the Holy Ghost, but impossible to follow without the help of the Holy Ghost. Our eternal life does not come to us for free. It was paid with the blood of God’s only begotten Son. We have a debt to Him we cannot even close to repaying, but we can start by choosing to follow Him each and every day. Where we fall short, we get back up the next day and do better than the previous day.

 

We must remember His Example when times get harder and more difficult as it becomes closer to the end of this world and the beginning of our eternity with God. Let us act for Him and make it known that we reject mammon and embrace the example of Jesus Christ. We may lose friends and even some family as a result of standing with God, but the consequences for not standing with God are far worse than losing shallow people in your life.

 

When the time comes, how will you ACT?

 

It is by our actions we are known.

 

Be of God - Live of God - Act of God

Holy Week

The week starting on Palm Sunday and continuing through the Saturday before Easter is commonly called Holy Week and the week in which the passion of our Savior is commemorated.  The week starts with the Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem and ends with the death of the Savior on the Cross and the burial of His body in the tomb.  It is a week of ups and downs without parallel and precedes the most joyous day of the year, the Day of the Resurrection or Easter Sunday.

 

Jesus has a triumphant entry into the city on the First Day of the Week (Sunday); on Thursday night he celebrates the Passover with his disciples in the Upper Room, he prays and agonizes over what he knows is coming in the garden of Gethsemane; Judas betrays him early Friday morning, his most trusted disciple denies him; the Jews condemn him to Pilate who in turn orders him to be beaten and humiliated; that does not satisfy the Jews and at their request, Pilate condemns a man he knows to be innocent to a horrible death to pacify the crowd of Jews assembled by the priests; Jesus is crucified, asks John to take care of his mother and gives up the ghost; his body is taken down and buried; the disciples are dispersed and discouraged; they have listened to their Lord, but not understood.

 

Think of this week from the disciples’ perspective, on the first day they enter with their leader into Jerusalem in triumph; mid-week they celebrate the joyous feast of the Passover, then their leader is betrayed, defends himself not and is killed.  At the time they surely could not think of this as a Holy Week and certainly not a Good Friday.  Yet on the first day of the week that follows, our Lord is Risen, Risen indeed and delivers the promise of salvation in person.

 

What a week!

 

Monday

On Monday, Jesus preached in the Temple and further distanced Himself from the people’s vision and demonstrated God’s vision.  He went in to the temple and through out the vendors selling “sacrificial” birds and animals at exorbitant cost, as well as the moneychangers, changing Roman money for Temple money dishonestly.  Far from announcing Himself head of the temple, He announced they had made His Father’s house a den of thieves.  Rather than working within the Jewish establishment, He over turned it!

 

Tuesday

Jesus and the Pharisees dispute in the Temple. He left for the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. There he delivers the “Mount of Olives Discourse”. Judas agrees to betray him to the Jewish priests for 30 pieces of silver. 

 

Wednesday

The Sanhedrin was gathered together and decided to kill Jesus, even before Pesach if possible. In the meantime, Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper. Here he was anointed on his head by Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, with very expensive ointment of spikenard. Some of the disciples, particularly Judas Iscariot, keeper of the purse, were indignant about this; the oil could have been sold to support the poor.  “This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.”  In this case, Judas recalls to mind many politicians.  Jesus reminded them of the importance of first things first and the futility of giving, rather than helping, when He said in Matthew 26.11 “For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.”  Judas went to the Sanhedrin and offered them his support in exchange for silver. From this moment on Judas was looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus. Judas spied on Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane where he came on his plan.

 

Maundy Thursday

At the Passover Feast, Jesus and his disciples share the “Last Supper” and He washes their feet. Jesus blesses his bread and wine as his flesh and blood and shares it with his disciples, the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion. As Paul tells us in his First Letter to the Corinthians, “…the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.”

 

At this same dinner, the disciples manage to quarrel over who should be the boss of who.  Jesus tells them he came in the role of a servant, as He is their master, their role is likewise that of servants.  In a move designed to reveal both His knowledge aforehand and our frailty, He tells Peter that Peter will deny Him thrice fore the cock croweth, or dawn breaks.  Peter, a loyal follower, denies what will be shown as clear fact.  Remember the further you let yourself get from the Lord, the weaker you are.  Weakness grows with the cube of the distance.  Stay close.

 

As the dinner goes on, Jesus tells them one of them will betray Him.  Not able to grasp that any of them would literally betray Him, each asks, “Is it I?”  Judas knows.

 

Jesus tells the disciples things are heating up, counsels them to arm themselves and goes out to pray in the garden of Gethsemane.  Disciples come with Him, despite their best efforts, they fall asleep.  Night has long fallen, the end of the day is near by our reckoning.  The end is near for Jesus here on earth.  Even nearer for Judas.

 

 

Good Friday

Good Friday was the day in which Jesus was tried by the Jews, tried by Pilate, condemned, crucified, died and was buried[1].  Except in hindsight, this was not a Good Friday at all. 

 

In the early hours before sunup, Jesus is betrayed by the “Judas Kiss” and arrested. At sunrise, he is disowned by Peter thrice before the cock croweth. When brought before Caiaphas, the Jewish High Priest, and his Council, he is condemned. He says that he will rise from death after three days.

 

They hand him over to the Roman authority, Pontius Pilate, who sends him to Herod (Antipas, the son of Herod the Great). Then Pilate asks the crowd who he is to pardon: a murderer, or Jesus? The crowd chooses Barabas and Jesus is sentenced to death. Pilate’s actions made famous the line, “I wash my hands of this.”  While he might have attempted to wash the guilt for the murder of the world’s one truly innocent man on to the Jews, he remains the one who condemned him to death.  Pilate was nothing if not a politician and bureaucrat.  The condemnation was to him the simplest solution to the problem of a Jewish hierarchy’s manufactured crowd’s anger.  What was the death of one Jew to him?  Yet he was worried enough to attempt to wash his hands of the guilt.

 

Jesus is brought to Calvary, where on the “third hour” (9 am) he is crucified. He is mocked as he hangs between the Bad Thief and the Good Thief, whom he blesses. On the “sixth hour” (noon), darkness covers the land. Jesus cries out “My God, My God, hast Thou forsaken Me? ”

 

After drinking wine, he commits his spirit to his Father and dies. Matthew reports an earthquake that destroys the Temple. Many understand now that Jesus was the Son of God. His body is taken down and anointed. He is buried in a new tomb donated by Joseph of Arimethea. This is the first day of death.

  

Holy Saturday

The Jewish Council remembers his vow to return and has the tomb guarded and sealed with a heavy stone. Second day of death. From the time Jesus left his body on the cross until the resurrection, little is known.  It is said in the Apostle’s Creed that “He descended into hell”, where he did battle with the Devil for our souls, a battle the Devil was destined to lose.

 

Easter Sunday

On the third day of death, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary find the tomb empty, but for an angel who tells them Jesus is already resurrected and is on His way to Galilee. On their way to tell the others, Jesus appears to them.  Death is conquered, the Promise delivered.  Our lives from this day forward are eternal!

 

Think about the Week that was!

The reason Jesus came to Jerusalem at the Passover was to take the place of the yearly sacrifice by one perfect sacrifice, one time, for all time and for all mankind. His was the blood marking our door that the destroyer might pass over.  The week started on a triumphant note and ended up trying to do between there were windows into the future, glimpses of the past, moments of despair, moments of terror, moments of confusion; but in the end joy and the ultimate triumph.

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[1] The tomb was a new one which had been hewn for Joseph of Arimathea.  Joseph, a native of Arimathea, was apparently a man of wealth, and probably a member of the Sanhedrin an "honourable counsellor, who waited (or "was searching") for the kingdom of God", according to John, he was secretly a disciple of Jesus. As soon as he heard the news of Jesus' death, he "went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus." Pilate, reassured by a centurion that the death had really taken place, allowed Joseph's request. Joseph immediately purchased fine linen and went to Golgotha to take the body down from the cross. There, assisted by Nicodemus, he took the body and wrapped it in the fine linen, sprinkling it with the myrrh and aloes that Nicodemus had brought. The body was then conveyed to the new tomb in rock in his garden nearby. There they laid it, in the presence of Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of Jesus, and other women, and rolled a great stone to the entrance, and departed. This was done speedily, "for the Sabbath was drawing on". Joseph of Arimathea appears in some early New Testament apocrypha.

 

Although there are no written records until the fifth century, tradition holds Joseph of Arimethea, who provided the tomb for the burial of Jesus Christ, brought Christianity and the Holy Grail to England in 37 AD and built a church in Glastonbury in Somerset.

Easter 2021 - Presiding Bishop's Letter

  

4 April 2021, Anno Domini

 

EASTER – the Believer’s Independence Day

 

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HE Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn. (Isaiah 61:1-2)

 

            Every American patriot will remember the blood of those defenders of liberty shed at Concord Township, at Vera Cruz, at Chancellorsville, Chateau-Thierry, Iwo Jima, Chosin Reservoir, Ia Drang Valley, and Fallujah. These battles were fought to sustain those liberties, endowed by God, declared in the Declaration of Independence for, not only our own blessed land, but those yearning to breathe free everywhere. Those freedoms were purchased at the cost of blood, and it is the shedding of blood that sustains them. Without the shedding of blood there is no freedom – and without shedding of blood is no remission of sin. (Hebrews 9:22)

 

            The greatest gift to man from God is that of Liberty purchased at the immeasurable cost of the blood of His only Begotten Son – our Lord Jesus Christ! That was the purpose of His coming – to pay the immeasurable debt owed by every man under sin over the purchase of his soul. That work of Redemption was begun in Eternity past before the worlds were made, continued through the Old Testament shadows, and fulfilled once-and-for-all by the Coming, crucifixion, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. All those Old Testament examples and prophecies did not stand alone – they were representations of the Word of God Incarnate in Jesus Christ.

 

            The crucifixion of Christ as an act of redemption was sealed by the Easter Resurrection, for had Christ not arisen, we would remain without hope.

 

            Our liberty from the bondage of sin was purchased at the cost of the Divine and Holy Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, all freedom comes from Him. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36) Are we thankful for that gracious gift? Yes, some are thankful, and others are indifferent.

 

            The same is true of our National Freedoms won at the cost of blood. Many are thankful and many others have grown cold and indifferent to freedom – not understanding that every freedom lost will require the price of blood and hardship to regain. If we stand courageously for God who granted those liberties, we shall remain free. 

 

            Our churches, too, have grown cold and indifferent to the great price paid for their purchase as the very Bride of Christ. Many less-than-valiant Christian professors will suffer utter despair at His Second Coming and shamefully be relegated to the shadows of Hell. 

 

            We often love to say that our salvation was free – and indeed it is to the elect of God – but it was not free to Heaven. It cost God the Father His only Begotten Son on the shameful cross at Golgotha; and it cost our Lord Jesus Christ the shame, mockery, and humiliation experienced by Him there as He bore our sins.

 

            Wake up, Church! Wake up, America! Remember the cost with which you were made free, and act as free men and women of responsibility and courage. If we forget not, we may enjoy many more Easters in freedom and liberty made available by Christ and His Providence. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (James 1:25)

 

Happy Easter and may we be renewed in Spirit and in Truth to stand firm in the storm.

Jerry L. Ogles

Presiding Bishop

Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

 

The Crux of the Matter – 2 April 2021, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

  

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OUR Father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.  (John 8:56)

 

 

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S for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. (Isaiah 3:12)

 

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ND as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:14)

 

I include in this devotion some remarks I made in the year 2009 concerning the Crux of the Matter. I feel it vitally important each believer is aware the Cross of Christ was the very Crux of eternity dividing all into the BEFORE and AFTER. It was the fulfillment of all the prophecies and Law of the Old Testament.

 

Christ was lifted up at Calvary for us just as the serpent of the wilderness was lifted up as a healing balm to the Children of Israel. All who were bitten by the fiery viper could look to the brazen serpent of Moses and be saved. Our own fiery Viper (Satan) has a deadly sting, and we all have been stung none being without sin. But Christ was lifted up for us to behold. He was separated from the world in the hour of His death. His Cross symbolizes a separation of our Lord from the world and its sin and error; but it also represents a separation of all who believe from those same world considerations that keep the children of men in hard bondage. If we would be free from the bondage of sin and the world, look to the cross. Our Lord bore our sins there and saved us, under the terms of the Law, by suffering our penalty. Our Lord died suspended between Heaven and earth. 

 

The Lord, even in this horrific time of suffering, remembered the names of each of His elect – their names graven into the palms of His hands. "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” (Isaiah 49:15-16)

 

CRUX is the Latin word for cross. Its major beam pointing to Heaven and its lesser beam the panorama of the world. The English language is much influenced, in its derivation of words, by the Latin. For example: excruciating is our English word for severe pain whose intensity is so great that it is incomprehensible. It is made up of two Latin derivatives: Ex, or 'from', or 'out of'; and Crux, or 'cross'. When joined together, the combined meaning is ‘pain as from the cross’. 

 

The word crux in English means the "essential point, or deciding factor. For all of humanity , the Cross of Christ is the great point of decision for all time and eternity. It is the most profound event that has ever occurred, or will ever occur, in the history of the world. The world calendar year is even based on that monumental event of the crucifixion – i.e., BEFORE CHRIST, and AFTER HIS COMING. (BC & AD)

 

Let us go on a journey in time - a journey of the imagination. Remember back to a time preceding your own birth, further back to the great Reformation, back still further to the time of Christ.... Continue back in time to the days of Abraham, Noah, Adam . . . . back still further when the world was " without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep." Back even further to a point in time when there was not even this formless mass we call Earth...back to a point in Eternity Past when there was only God. This is a point in Eternity where there was only the Powers of Heaven to comprehend all of reality - a point during which the Triune God and His great Heaven existed apart and alone from all that we know as Time. " . . . . for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." (John 17:24)

 

The Great Father God determined in His omniscient Wisdom that He would create a world whose canopy would be the starry expanse of celestial lights and beauty. And in that world, He would place the crowning achievement of His creative genius - Man. The imperative that Man would need a Savior did not escape the foreknowledge of this Creator God. " But with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." (1 Peter 1:19-20)

 

The Cross of Christ was ordained of God the Father to be the CRUX of all time and eternity - an epochal event of utmost cataclysmic proportion. The single event which divided, not only earthly time, but the timeless scale of Eternity into two divisions: before and after. It is so crucial to the history of the earth that we base all our calendar calculations on the periods Before Christ (B.C.) and after His dominion (A.D. or Anno Domini). All the righteous of the centuries preceding this great event looked forward to His coming; and all believing peoples of our day look back in the Hope and Sure knowledge of that great event which enabled us to approach the Throne of Grace through His shed blood at Calvary. 

 

But the great Redemptive act of Christ would have profited us nothing except that the events of that first Easter morning should have transpired. Though others, such as Enoch and Elijah, were translated directly to God, and still others awakened from the deep sleep of death, yet no man had ever risen by force of His own Word from the eternal sleep of death; yet Christ rose, "according to the scriptures" on the third day following these events.

 

The Saints of ages past yearned, in their graves, to see this great event - an event that would free them from eternal darkness and arouse them from the depth of their sleep to the eternal life assured them, and all others, who were in Christ. On that first Easter morning, Christ defeated death and Hell for us and thereby made it possible for us, the elect of God, to have everlasting Life in Christ. Being in Him, we too shall arise from the power of death to eternal life. For He it is who paid our sin penalty and reconciled us to the Father. He has become our Ark of Hope in these latter days so that, just as surely as the Ark of Noah was lifted up above the turbid waters of the Flood, so may each of us be lifted above the ruin and damnation which will surely come upon the earth to those who do not believe. It was the events of Easter morning, two thousand years ago, which enabled us to enjoy eternal Life in Christ. 

 

My friends - brothers and sisters - are you and your loved ones securely aboard the Ark of Christ? This is the most pressing matter in your conscious life upon this earth. Please, without delay, make your salvation sure in Christ this moment while the great door of the Ark is open and you are being invited to board. - in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Christ our Passover – 1 April 2021, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

 

 

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N the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:4-8)

 

The glorious Easter Season follows hard on the Lenten Season of sad reflection. Though the term Easter has gained prominence in reference to the day. The term Passover would be more accurate for we are told in Scripture quite clearly that Christ is our Passover. His claim to that title is reflected in all the Old Testament blood sacrifices of the Passover initiated in Goshen of Egypt. In the service of Holy Communion, the Church observe the real spiritual Presence of our Lord at His Table in the elements of wine and unleavened bread. Leaven represents sin, but the Body of Christ (bread) must be sinless as symbolized in that unleavened bread.

 

Matthew Henry has this to say:

 

See the deficiency of the legal sacrifices for sin; they were therefore often repeated, not only every year, but every feast, every day of the feast, because they could not make the comers thereunto perfect, (Heb. 10:1, 3). See the necessity of our frequently repeating the same religious exercises. Though the sacrifice of atonement is offered once for all, yet the sacrifices of acknowledgement, that of a broken heart, that of a thankful heart, those spiritual sacrifices which are acceptable to God through Christ Jesus, must be every day offered. We should, as here, fall into a method of holy duties, and keep to it. 

 

The typical aspects of the Passover to Christ are multitudinous. The extensive marks of similarity and exact congruence is beyond the scope of a single devotion, so I urge the Reader to please digest the beauty and grandeur of this Type through deeper study.

 

            The Passover, inaugurated in the Land of Goshen in Egypt while the Children of Israel were subject to cruel bondage, was a signal Light from the Great Lighthouse of God to the Hebrew people, as well as to you and me, of His promise of Redemption to be made available in Christ. The effulgent beams of that Light swept the near and troubled Sea of the Hebrew people and beyond to the Pacific and Atlantic Waters of all races and tribes of people – even to those in the Islands of the Sea (who today sing praises to His Holy Name).

 

            God often turns the assaults of the Devil back against him (by using the very plans the Dark Prince employs) as a means of grace and salvation from it for His people. Due to the greed and cruelty of the Egyptians, Pharaoh had ordered all male children of the Israelites to be cast into the river Nile. The mother of Moses did, indeed, cast Moses into the River Nile, but in a small ark of bulrushes daubed with pitch and slime in order to save him. Pharaoh’s daughter was of a kind and loving disposition and, when she saw the baby in the ark, she took him for her own. Moses became the choice man of God, raised even in the very house of Pharaoh, to save His people from Pharaoh’s oppression. Moses became God’s ‘man for the time’ and obeyed God in his walk.

 

            After sending forth nine terrible plagues against Egypt to persuade her king to release God’s people, God dictated new terms and a final plague for Moses to report to Pharaoh. Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. (Exodus 11:4-7) This would be the final plague God would send against Pharaoh, his household, and all of Egypt. But god always makes special provision for His people, and this time is no exception. Read for further explanation, (Exodus 12:2-20)

 

            That unblemished and innocent lamb, slain at first Passover, foreshadowed that innocent and perfect Lamb of God: Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)  This Passover was authenticated in Christ for He has become our Passover that we observe in the Lord’s Supper. If we are, like the Israelites in Goshen, covered under His blood, we shall not perish. The Cup (wine) of which we partake represents His warm and living blood that was shed for us. The unleavened bread (for the symbol must comport with that symbolized, represents His Body in all parts. The Passover Lamb was also foreshadowed by that animal which died to cover the shame and sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden eastward in Eden. Christ was, like the unblemished lamb, without sin and an acceptable sacrifice for our sins.

 

            The Passover Lamb was to be taken from the fold of other sheep just as Christ was made man and dwelt among us, and was taken from among us for the sacrifice at Calvary.

 

            The Passover Lamb was to be one year old signifying its peak maturity. So was Christ at the peak of manhood slain for us. The Lamb was roasted whole just as was Christ crucified, pierced and recipient of the fire of God’s wrath. Our Lord, though wholly crucified, did not suffer a bone of His body to be broken.

 

            The blood of the Passover Lamb was not to be allowed to spill upon the ground illustrating the preciousness of the blood of Christ which is to be revered. Just as the blood of the Passover Lamb was to be sprinkled upon the lintels and doorposts, so must Christ blood not only be shed wholly for us, but our consciences must be sprinkled by the notice of that blood. All who enter the house must see the blood of Christ as evidence of our salvation.

 

            The flesh of the Passover Lamb was to be eaten in its entirety. So must we feed upon Christ spiritually as our Bread of Life and drink His blood as a sacramental form and grace of His sacrifice. The Passover Lamb was to be eaten in one house symbolism the ONE-NESS of the Body of Christ at the Communion, and at all times.

 

            The sprinkling of the blood of the Lamb was to be done by dipping a cluster of hyssop into the blood to afford the sprinkling. Hyssop has many symbolic features. It will grow even on rock. The Christian will remain faithful even under hard oppression. Hyssop was used as a purgative to cleanse the inward body just as the blood of Christ first cleanses the inward heart, and then the outer.

 

            The unleavened bread of the Passover symbolizes sinlessness, pure doctrine, and sincerity. Leaven symbolized the hypocrisy and false doctrine of the Pharisees. Christ is sinless, pure, and true. The symbol of bread we consume in the Supper should also reflect those qualities of Christ.

 

            The Passover symbolizes the coming of God’s people our of Egypt, or spiritual bondage of sin. Christ, being our Passover, freed us, too, from the yoke and bondage of sin.

 

            The Passover Lamb was not to be eaten until all leaven (sin, hypocrisy, hate, impure hearts, grudges, etc) were removed from the house. We, too, should cleanse our hearts of all sin, ill-will, personal animosities – when we observe Holy Communion.

 

            When you next observe the Holy Communion (our present Passover) remember the first Passover in Egypt. Remember the blood over the doors and upon the door posts. Remember that we are spared the Angel of Death when we are in that blood-covenant relationship with Christ. Are you?

 

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OR I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. (1 Cor 11:23-29)